adjective
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self-willed; obstinate
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(of an action) heedless; rash
Synonym Usage
See willful.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of headstrong
First recorded in 1350–1400, headstrong is from the Middle English word heedstronge. See head, strong
Explanation
Headstrong describes something that's disobedient or willful. If you're headstrong, you want to do what you want to do. When you refuse to complete your homework because you want to watch a football game, you're being headstrong. A closer look at the word headstrong can give you a hint to its meaning — the combination of the words head and strong. You're determined to have your own way because you have a strong belief that your view — what you have in your head — is the best one. Being a headstrong person is not always a bad thing. Sometimes headstrong people make history because they fight traditional values or outdated rules that need to be changed.
Vocabulary lists containing headstrong
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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Resistance is Futile: Synonyms for "Stubborn"
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Described in the French press as a headstrong woman who is generous to friends but implacable to her enemies, Garcia says the case against her is circumstantial.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
New York spent a few years working on the parts, and how the parts were supposed to fit together, and they controversially cycled out headstrong coach Tom Thibodeau in favor of Mike Brown’s lighter touch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
We don’t yet want to say that the situation has spiraled out of control, but the spiral could be only a couple of headstrong choices away.
From Slate ● Mar. 21, 2026
Smart and headstrong, Ellison attended the University of Chicago, but dropped out and drove to California in a used Thunderbird.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2025
“What have they gone and done? We tried to warn them about the nasty Crochan, but the headstrong little goslings wouldn’t listen! My, oh my,” she clucked sorrowfully, “now they’ve got their little fingers caught!”
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
